Acylophorus mauritianus, Janák, 2018

Janák, Jiří, 2018, Revision of the genus Acylophorus Nordmann, 1837 from Madagascar and Mascarene Islands (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Acylophorina), Zootaxa 4462 (2), pp. 151-191 : 170-175

Acylophorus mauritianus sp. nov.

( Figs. 93–107 , 170 )

Type locality. Mauritius, Mt. Le Pouce , 20° 11' 48'' S, 57° 31' 21'' E.

Type material. Holotype ♂: “ Mauritius, Mt. Le Pouce , 16.– 22.1.2006, 700–770 m, 20° 11' 48'' S, 57° 31' 21'' E, rain forest, forest litter sifting, J. Janák lgt.” ( JJRC) . Paratypes: 2 ♂, 2 ♀: same data ( JJRC) .

Description (n=5). Body length 6.5–7.2 mm (M= 6.8 mm, HT= 6.9 mm), forebody length 2.7–2.8 mm (M= 2.8 mm, HT= 2.8 mm). Body black or dark brown ( Figs. 93–95 ), pronotum brown or red, elytra brown, brown with reddish shoulders or completely red, abdomen black to dark reddish brown, abdominal tergites moderately iridescent; antennae brown with base of first segment and segments 8–11 light reddish; legs and maxillary palpi reddish brown.

Head very long and narrow ( Fig. 96 ), markedly longer than wide (L/W=1.13–1.21, M=1.17, HT=1.18), slightly widened behind eyes, with two pairs of interocular setae. Temples moderately longer than eyes (LT/ LE=1.09–1.23, M=1.16, HT=1.14). Dorsal side of head with fine very sparse micropunctures. Dense pale grey pubescence behind eyes. Four postocular setae visible on each side, additional seta on hind margin of eye absent. Left and right mandible each with two teeth ( Fig. 97 ). Maxillary palpi with terminal segment wide and long, pubescent, asymmetric, wider and much longer than short glabrous triangular penultimate segment ( Fig. 98 ). First segment of antenna nearly as long as next four; segments 1 to 6 elongate, segment 5 slightly to markedly longer than wide (R=1.16–1.37, M=1.28, HT=1.16), segment 7 about as long as wide, segments 8–9 transverse, segment 10 markedly transverse (R=0.69–0.81, M=0.76, HT=0.76).

Pronotum slightly transverse (R=1.03–1.08, M=1.06, HT=1.03), markedly widened behind with sides only slightly rounded, widest in basal half ( Fig. 96 ), shining, with fine and sparse micropunctures similar to those on head. One pair of dorsal setae and one pair of lateral setae. Marginal setae short. Elytra markedly transverse (R=1.08–1.15, M=1.11, HT=1.09) Abdominal tergites with short, sparse pubescence, interstices in transverse direction on middle part of tergite IV about three times as large as diameter of punctures. Meso- and metatarsi with empodial setae short, almost invisible (similar as in Figs. 87, 88 ).

Male (n=3). Sternite 9 very long and narrow ( Fig. 105 ), apex of tergite 10 narrowly rounded, with very long setae ( Fig. 104 ). Aedeagus ( Figs. 99–103 ) 0.76–0.79 mm long (M= 0.77 mm, HT= 0.79 mm). Parameres bilobed, lobes narrowly separated, sensory pegs confusedly arranged at the very apex ( Fig. 103 ). Median lobe of aedeagus markedly overreaching paramere, apex rounded ( Figs. 101, 103 ).

Female. Tergite 10 subtruncate apically ( Fig. 106 ), valves as in Fig. 107 .

Differential diagnosis. Acylophorus mauritianus sp. nov. differs from all hitherto known Afrotropical species by the combination of the very long and narrow head, the finely and sparsely micropunctured head and pronotum and by the shape of the aedeagus.

Etymology. The name of the new species is derived from the island Mauritius.

Distribution. Acylophorus mauritianus sp. nov. is known so far only from Mt. Le Pouce in Mauritius.

Bionomics. All specimens were found by sifting in small indigenous forest far from any stream ( Fig. 170 ).

Figures

FIGURES 93–98. Acylophorus mauritianus sp. nov. 93, 96, holotype, 94, 95, 97, 98, paratypes. 93–95, habitus; 96, head and pronotum; 97, mandibles; 98, maxillary palpus.

FIGURES 99–107. Acylophorus mauritianus sp. nov. 99–101, holotype; 104–107, paratypes. 99, 102, aedeagus lateral; 100, aedeagus ventro-lateral; 101, 103, aedeagus ventral; 104, male tergites 9, 10; 105, male sternite 9; 106, female tergites 9, 10; 107, valves. 102, 103, transmitted light. 99–103, same scale bars.

FIGURES 166–171. 166, Fenomanana, locality of A. tristis; 167, Col de Marotaolana, locality of A. tristis; 168, Andasibe, Parc des Orchidées, locality of A. minutus and A. sogai; 169, Andringitra, Vohidray massiv, locality of A. montanus sp. nov.; 170, Mauritius, Le Pouce, locality of A. mauritianus sp. nov.; 171, detail on treading on banks of a brook. Arrows indicate places where Acylophorus specimens were collected.

FIGURES 87–90. Acylophorus hova sp. nov., paratypes. 87, metatarsus lateral; 88, metatarsus dorsal; 89, male tergites 9, 10; 90, male sternite 9; 91, female tergites 9, 10; 92, valves. 87, 88, same scale bars.